Feeding apparatus for use in conjunction with cutting machines



W. B. MONK FEEDING APPARATUS FOR USE IN CONJUNCTION WITH CUTTING MACHINES Filed ieb. s, 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec; 29, 1925- 1,567,449

- w. B. MONK FEEDING APPARATUS FOR USE IN CONJUNCTION WITH CUTTING MACHINES Filed Feb. 6, 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Dec. 23 1925.

W. B. MONK FEEDING APPARATUS FOR USE IN CONJUNCTION WITH CUTTING MACHINES Filed Feb. 6, 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Dec. 29, l25.

'UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM BICCERSTAFFE MONK, OF

BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE D'UNLOP RUBBER COMPANY, LIMITED, 0]? REGENTS PARK, LONDON, ENGLAND, A

BRITISH COMPANY.

FEEDING APPARATUS FOR USE Application filed February 6v 1923.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM BIGGER- s'mrrn MONK, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Fort Dunlop, Erdington, Birmingham, in the county of Warwick, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in 01' Relating to Feeding Apparatus for Use in Conjunction with Cutting h lachines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus of the kind in which. sheet canvas or other similar material is unwound from a roll or spool and fed or supplied to a cutting ma chine of the vertical bias or other type wherein the sheet material is cut into strips of the desired width ready for use in the manufacture of pneumatic tyre covers or casings. In a usual construction of apparatus of this kind the material, wound on a stock roll removably mounted in the, apparatus is unwound by means of positively driven feed rollers and during the unwinding, the material passes over and frictionally rotates a removably mounted roll on which a lining cloth wound between the convolutions of the 'material on the stock roll is rebatched or wound. The material in passing from the feed rollers to the cutting machine hangs from the feed rollers in the form of a loop (hereinafter referred to as the stock loop) from which the material is intermittently taken up by the feed device of the cutting machine fter the material on the stock roll has been unwound and the re-batching roll for the lining fully loaded, these rolls are removed and replaced by a full stock roll and an empty or unloaded re-batching lining roll; this operation necessitates stoppage of the cutting machine whose output is therefore restricted. In practice the feed from the stock roll must be slightly in excess of the requirements of the cutting machine so that an adequate supply of material is always available in the stock loop and for this reason when the said loop is full the supply from the positively driven feed rollers has to be stopped for which purpose hand operated clutch mechanism is provided for disconnecting the feed rollers from their driving means so that the stock IN CONJUNCTION WITH CUTTING MACHINES.

Serial No. 617,377.

loop can be reduced by the supply to the cutting machine; when the stock loop is reduced to its minimum the feed rollers have to be connected to the driving means in order to supply more material to the stock loop. This arrangement is disadvantageoue for the reason that the whole attention of an operator is required in inanipulating the clutch mechanism to control the supply of material to the stock loop. The chief objects of the present invention are 'to avoid interruption in the operation of the cutting machine when removing and replacing the stock rolls and to avoid the necessity of an operator for controlling the supply of material to the stock loop.

According to this invention two stock rolls are provided so that as soon as the material has been fully unwound from one stock roll the material from the other stock roll can be used to continue the supply, the said rolls being so supported as to permit of an empty stock roll being removed whilst the material is being unwound from the other stock roll. The two stock rolls are removably supported. at different heights in centres or hearings in the main frame, and a lining re-batching roll supported in centres or bearings in the said frame is associated with each stock roll so that it can be frictionally rotated by the material being unwound from its corresponding stock roll, in order to wind up or lG-bltCll the lining which is unwound with this material. Although the lining rolls .are frictionally 1'0- tated to wind up the lining they have associated therewith independent clutch mechanisms which can be operated to connect the lining rolls with common driving mechanism so that cither lining roll may be positively rotated in order to wind up the surplus lining which precede und follows the length of material wound on each stock roll. During the unwinding of the material from one stock roll and the winding up of the lining on the corresponding lining roll, the other and empty stock roll and its corresponding full or loaded lining roll are removed and replaced by a full stock roll and an empty lining roll ready for the leading end of the material on the full stock roll to be joined to the rear end of the material from the other stock roll when fully unwound. A table may be provided adjacent to the positively driven feed-rollers to support the ends of the material when being joined as aforesaid. By means of this invention removal and replacement of the stock rolls and the lining rolls and the joining of the ends of the material as above set forth can be effected without interrupting the operation of the cutting machine.

According to a further feature of this invention automatic means are provided for controlling the operation of the feed rollers that supply the material to the stock loop so that the latter can be entirely regulated by the automatic means. For this purpose the stock loop may carry a roller, bar or the like which when the stock loop is filled actuates clutch mechanism in such manner as to disconnect the driving means for the feed rollers from the operating shaft, so that the feed rollers are not operated and do not draw the material. from the stool: rollers; the material however is drawn from the stock loop by the feed device of the cutting machine and when the stock loop is reduced to its minimum the said roller or bar carried by the stock loop actuates the clutch mechanism so that the feed r llers may be operated to supply more material from the stock rollers to the stock loop.

According to a further feature of the invention an improved feeding device is provided for supplying the material from the stock loop to the cutting machine whereby a more efficient and more positive gripping surface is obtained, thus resulting in greater accuracy in the width of the out. For this purpose a series of narrow endless belts or hands are passed around an intermittently driven feed roller of the cutting machine and a roller supported in a lower position so as to form an inclined multiple belt conveyor which is intermittently operated to supply or draw the material from the stock loop so that it travels over the several belts or bands and is conveyed to the knife of the cutting machine.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect the same will now be described more fully with reference to the diagrammatic accompanying drawings, in which 2- Figure l is a general perspective view of one construction of the apparatus embodying the improvements according to this invention and showing more particularly the disposition of the stock rolls and lining rolls.

Figure 2 illustrates the paths of the material from the stock rolls to the feed rollers and the stock loop.

Figure 3 is a perspective view showing more particularly the automatic means for controlling the driving mechanism of the feed rollers which supply the material to the stock loop.

Figure 4L- is an elevation of part of the said automatic means shown in Figure 3.

A represents one stock roll and B indicates the lining roll which is frictionally driven or rotated by the material A as it is unwound from the stock roll A so that the lining'B which is unwound with the material A can be Wound or re-batched on to the said lining roll B. G represents the other stock roll and D indicates the lining roll to receive the lining D which is unwound with the material C from the stock roll C, the rotation of this lining roll D being effected by the material C passing over the same. E and F represent the feed rollers which are positively driven by suitable driving mechanism hereinafter referred to for unwinding the material A or C from the stock rolls A or C, to form the stock loop G, from which the material is supplied to the feeding device H of the cutting machine which may be of any suitable or usual kind.

"The stock rolls A. and B are removably mounted at different heights in centres or bearings in the side portions of the main frame I, the two centres or bearings on one side of the said frame being controlled by band brakes A and C which can be regulated as required during the unwinding of the material A and G from the said stock rolls. The lining rolls B and D are also removably mounted in centres or bearings in the main frame I so as to be frictionally rotated by the material as aforesaid and the centres at one side of the frame I are pro-' vided with independent hand controlled clutch mechanisms B and D comprising ro tary clutch members driven by chains B and from sprockets B and D on a shaft J rotated by chain gearing J from a main driving shaft J hereinafter referred to. By means of the clutch mechanisms B and P either of the lining rolls may be connected to the aforesaid rotary shaft J and positively rotated at a high speed for quickly winding up the surplus lining material which precedes and follows each length of material A or G on the stock rolls A or C; otherwise the lining rolls B and D are frictionally driven by the material A or C when the latter is being unwound from the stock rolls by the positively driven feed rollers E and F. Assuming that the material A is being unwound from the stock roll A, it first passes over the lining roll B to rotate the lat er and then around guide rolls whence it travels over a table A (see Figure 2) so as to pass under the lower feed roller F and around the upper one E from which the material is suspended to form the stock loop G that provides the necessary surplus of material to be drawn intermittently by the feeding device H which conveys the material to the knife ot the cutting machine. After the .material A has been fully unwound from the stock roll A and its lining material B completely re-batched or wound on the roll B the leadtable A}.

' D re-batched on the roll ing end of the material C from the stock roll C is passed over the lining roll 1) around guide rollers C as shown by the dotted lines in Figure 2 and then around the guide rollers A A so that it can be joincsl in any suitable manner tothe rear end oi the unwound material A whilst supported on the The material C is therefore ready to be drawn between the teed rollers l5 l1 to form the stock loop (l and during this operation the loaded or fully re-batched lining roll B is removed from its centres in the main frame and the empty stock roll A is transferred to these centres so as to serve the re-batching roll for the lining of a full stock roll which is placed in the centres from which the previous and empty stock roll A was removed. The surplus lining); in dvance of the material on the hill stock roll is wound quickly on to the new lining roll by connecting this roll to the rotary shaft J through the clutch mechanism B so that the leading end of the material on the full stockroll is ready to be attached to the rear end of the material C as soon as this material C has been completely unwound from the stock roll C. After the mateial C has been unwound and its lining D the leading end of the material on the full stock roll is attached to the rearend of the material C whereupon the loaded lining roll D is removed from its centres, in which the empty stock roll C is then placed to serve as the ice-batching roll loaded stock roll which is placed in the centres vacated by the empty stock roll C. By this rrangement practically no time is lost in the removal and replacement ol' the stock rolls and the lining rolls so that a practically continuous operation of the cutting machine can be effected.

As shown in Figure 1 the feed and l are geared rollers l together by pinions 1C and F the upper roller l being provided with a sprocket o1 eratively connected by a chain E to a sprocket (see Figures 3 and a) loosely mounted on the driving shattll but adapted to be connected to the said shalt by a rotary clutch F slidahly keyed on said shaft J. The clutch E slidably moved by a suitably pivoted or forked lever it into and out of engagement with a clutch member formed on the loose sprocket F the said lever E being actuated by mechanism which is automatically operated by the stock loop as hereinafter described. The shaft J is continuously rotated for example by means of a belt drive 3 through variafor the lining on a fully ble speed friction gear .7" comprising a large driving disc that rotatcs a smaller disc whose position in relation to the centre of the larger disc can be varied by adjusting means J", the smaller disc transmitting the rotation to hcvel gearing .lf which rotates the shaft .l. The said variable speed triction gear permits of variation in the feed from the stock rolls to suit the rta uirements of the cutting ma hine as regards various widths of material to he cut. In order that the stock loop may be automatically controlled a heavy roller (2 see l igures 3 and l is threaded in or suspended by the said loop with its ends slidably fitted in vertical guides or channels (i in such manner that the roller (I3 may be raised or lowered by the stock loop as the latter diminishes or increases. {hie end of the said roller adapted to come into contact with one or other of a pair of trip levers G and (.z" on reaching; the limits of its upward and down ard inovezm-uts. The e trip lovers are connected to a vertical. rod ll which by means of pins 5 l thereon ci'uragcs with one end of a hell crank lever (9 pivoted on a suitable part of the main frame, the other end of the said bell crank lever being, articulated to the lower end of a lever ll centrally pivoted on the main frame at a point directly above the pivot 01 the hell crank lever G The upper and free end of the lever it is connected to the pivot pin of the bell crank lever l} by a tension spring (i The articulated ends of the bell crank lever G and the lever (i are suitably connected to a horizontal bar l l slidably mounted in a guide E and pivoted to the upper end of the lever which moves the clutch member E" into and out of engagement with the clutch member on the loose sprocket 15 that is operatively connected by the chain E" to the sprocket on the upper feed roller E. ll hen the stock loop G is filled, the roller i depresses the lower trip lever G which raises the vertical rod G so as to rock the bell crank lever (l and the lever (.l and thus cause the bar E to he pushed outwardly and to move the pivoted lever l0" outwardly so that the clutch member E" is disengaged from the clutch member on the sprocket E"; the parts are retained in this position by the tension spring ll". The rotation ol the shaft J is therefore not transmitted to the feed rollers l) and l? and the material is drawn from the stock loop into the cutting machine as required by the intermittently operated teed device ll so that the loop diminishes and raises the roller G. l pon the stock loop being practically reduced to i minimum the said roller G actuatcs the up per trip lever G which therefore depresses the vertical rod G which in turn rocks the bell crank lever it and the lever G in order to slide or pull the horizontal bar E inwardly so that the forked lever E is actuated to place the clutch E into engagement with the clutch on the loose sprocket E thereby enabling the drive to be transmitted from the shaft J to the upper feed roll by the sprocket chain E The tension spring G also retains the parts in this position; two notches E are provided in the bar E so as to be engaged by a stop roller E in the aforesaid guide E in order to definitely locate the bar E in either of its two positions. The feed device which is represented generally by the reference letter H comprises a series of narrow endless belts H that pass around a lower roller H and an upper roller H which latter is intermittently driven in any suitable manner to impart the required movement of the belts H which draw the material from the stock loop and carry it around the upper feed roller H whence the material is supplied vertically to the inclined knife that cuts the material on the bias. The multiple belt conveyor formed by the belts H enables the grip or friction on the material to be considerably increased with the result that a satisfactory feed is obtained which ensures greater accuracy i the width of the out.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. Apparatus for supplying sheet canvas or similar material to a cutting machine, comprising a single frame work for supporting a plurality of stool; rolls and a plurality of lining rolls, one for each stock roll, means whereby each lining roll can be driven from its stock roll and also independently if desired, supporting means on which the rear end of the material unwound from one stock roll can be readily joined to the leading end of the material to be unwound from another stock roll, means where by each stock roll when empty, together with its lining roll when full, can be removed and replaced by a full stock roll and an empty lining roll whilst the material is being drawn from the other stock roll and automatic means interposed between the stock rolls and a conveyor that supplies the material to the cutting machine, for controlling the unwinding of the stool: material from either stock roll and ensuring a pre determined adequate supply of material at the position where it is taken up by the conveyor according to the requirements of the cutting machine.

2. Apparatus for supplying sheet canvas or similar material to a cutting machine, comprising a plurality of stock rolls, means for removably supporting the same in the main frame of the apparatus a lining roll associated with each stock roll, means for emovably supporting the lining rolls in the said main frame in such manner that each lining roll can be frictionally rotated by the material that is unwound from the corresponding stock roll so as to wind up the lining which is unwound with this material, and clutch mechanism associated with each lining roll for connecting either of lining rolls to a common driving means and enabling the same to be positively rotated to quickly wind up the surplus lining that precedes and follows each length of material on the stock rolls.

3. Apparatus for supplying sheet canvas or similar material to a cutting machine, comprising a single frame work for supporting plurality of removable stock rolls and a plurality of removable lining roll-s, one for each stock roll, guide rollers over which the material from either stock is drawn, common feed rollers for drawing the material from either stock roll, means whereby the lining rolls can be frictionally driven by the stock material or can be independently driven when desired, and a table positioned between the said guide rollers and the feed rollers, on which table the rear end of the material unwound from one stocl-c roll can be joined to the leading end of the material which is to be unwound from the other stock roll.

4. Apparatus for supplying sheet canvas or similar material to a cutting machine, comprising a plurality of stock rolls and a plurality of lining rolls, one for each stock roll, a frame in which all said rolls are re movably supported, common feed rollers in said frame which are positively rotated to unwind the material from either stock roll and supply it to a stock loop,means for draw ing the material from the stock loop and supplying it to the cutting machine, means for frictionally or positively driving said lining rolls, and automatic means operated by the stock loop for controlling the operation of the said common feed rollers and enabling the material to be drawn from either stock roll according to the requirements of the stock loop.

5. Apparatus for supplying sheet canvas or similar material to a cutting machine,.

comprising a frame supporting a stock roll and a lining roll at a position above a second stock roll and lining roll, means whereby said stock rolls and lining rolls can be readily removed from the frame, guide rollers in said frame over which the material from either stock roll passes, a support on which the rear end of the material unwound from one stock roll can be connected to the leading end of the material to be unwound from the other stock roll, feed rollers located in said frame at a position beyond the said support, a conveyor device beyond said feed rollers, means for forming a loop of the stock material between the said feed rollers and the conveyor device, a controlling member movable by said stock loop, and means operable by said controlling member for connecting or disconnecting the feed rollers to or from a driving shaft,

6. Apparatus for supplying sheet canvas or similar material to a cuttingmachine comprising a frame supporting a stocl: roll and a lining roll at a position above a second stool: roll and lining roll. means whereby the said rolls can be readily removed from said frame, guide rollers in said frame over which the material from either stocl: roll passes, means on which the rear end of the material from one stock roll can be connected to the leading end of the material on the other stock roll, feed rollers located in said frame at a position beyond the said table. a conveyor device beyond said feed rollers, means for forming a loop of the stock ma terial between the said rollers and the conveyor, a controlling member vertically movable in guides by said stock loop, trip levers in the path of and adapted to be engaged by said controlling member, a vertical rod movable by said trip levers and adapted to impart endwise movement to a horizontal rod, a rotary clutch member operated by said horizontal rod and slidalily lteyed on a driving shaft for connecting or disconnecting this shaft to driving means that rotate the said feed rollers.

7. Apparatus for supplying sheet canvas or similar material to a cutting machine, comprising a plurality of stock rolls, a plurality of lining rolls, one for each stock roll, positively rotated feed rollers for drawing the material from either of the stock rolls to form a stock loop, all of said rolls and rollers being mounted in the same frame, means controllable by the size of the stock loop for connecting or disconnecting" the feed rollers to and from a driving shaft, an intermittently operated device for supplying the material from the stock loop to the cutting machine, and variable speed mechanism for varying the speed of rotation of the feed roller driving shaft to suit the requirements of the cutting machine as regards various Widths of the material to be cut.

8. Apparatus for supplying sheet canvas or similar material to a cutting machine, comprising a frame supporting a plurality of stock rolls, a plurality of lining rolls, one for each stock roll, means for frictionally driving the line rolls, means for connecting the line rolls to said driving means, feed rollersfor drawing the material from either of the stock rolls to form a stock loop, a conveyor device for taking up material from the stock loop and supplying it to the cutting machine, a driving shaft for operating said feed rollers, a sprocket loosely mounted on said shaft and connected by a chain to a sprocket on one of the feed rollers, a clutch for coupling said loose sprocket to the shaft, a vertically movable bar suspended in said stock loop. trip mechanism operable by said stocl; loop bar, and means operated by said trip mechanism for slidabl v n'ioving said clutch into or out of engagement with said loose =-:procltct.

9. lpparatus for supplying sheet canvas or similar material to a cutting machine, comprising a single frame for supporting a plurality of stock rolls, a plurality of lining rolls, one for each stock roll, feed rollers for drawing the material from either of the stock rolls to form a stock loop. an intermittently operated device for supplying the material from the stock loop to the cutting machine, a driving shaft for operating said feed rollers through chain and sprocket gearing, a clutch for operativcly ctmnecting said gearing to the said shaft, a vertically movable bar suspended in. said stock loop, trip mecluinisin operable by said stock loop bar, means operated by said trip mechanism for slidably moving said clutch into or out of engagement with said sprocket gearing and variable speed mechanism for driving said feed roller drivingshaft.

10. Apparatus for supplyiupshect canvas or similar material to a cutting machine. comprising a single frau'ie for supporting a plurality of removable stock rolls, a plurality of removable lining rolls, one for each stock roll, common feed rollers for drawing the material from either stock roll, guide rollers over which the material from either stock roll passes so as to frictionally rotate the lining roll for the ope "ative stock roll, a table over which the material passes prior to reaching the feed rollers and on which the rear end of the material unwound from one stock roll can be attached to the leading end of material. to be unwound from another stoclr roll, means for positively driving the lining rolls when required, in *ans whereby the feed rollers form a stock loop, means for drawing the material intermittently from the stock loop, and means operable by the stock loop for disconnecting or connecting the feed rollers from their driving means.

11. Apparatus for supplying sheet canvas or similar material to a cutting machine, comprising a single frame for supporting a plurality of removable stock rolls, a plurality of removable lining rolls, one for each stock roll, feed rollers for drawing the material from either stock roll, guide rollers over which the material. from either stock roll, passes so as to frictionally rotate the lining roll for the operative stock roll, a table over which the material passes prior to reaching the feed rollers and on which the rear end of the material unwound from one stock roll can be attached to the leading end of material to be unwound from another stock roll, means for positively driving the lining rolls when required, means whereby the feed rollers form a stock loop, means carried by the stock loop for engaging arms on a vertical movable rod, a horizontal rod operated by said vertically movable rod, a lever connection from the horizontal rod for moving a clutch slidable on and rotatable with a driving shaft, a loose sprocket on said shaft connected by a chain to a sprocket on one of the feed rollers, and variable speed mechanism for rotating said driving shaft, which, 10

when said clutch engages said loose sprocket, enables material to be supplied by the feed rollers to the stock loop, from which the material is drawn by an intermittently operated multiple belt conveyor that snpplies 15 it to the cutting machine.

"WILLIAM BICCERSTAFFE MONK. 

